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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · trunk · firm · mark · object · bear · cold · race

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bear — the animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. race — humankind
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. firm — a company
  9. object — to protest
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. object — a thing
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cold — not warm
  17. object — an aim
  18. date — the fruit
  19. race — a contest
  20. firm — decided
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cold — an illness
  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