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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wake — a trail
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wake — before a funeral

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