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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. last — to go on
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. clip — a video
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. last — final
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com