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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bass — the fish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cap — a hat
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mate — to breed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bass — low music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — an injury
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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