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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ground — a position
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. suit — clothes
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bear — the animal

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