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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. race — a contest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. race — humankind
  13. spring — a coil
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bass — low music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — the season
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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