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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. net — after costs
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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