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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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Word bank
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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: content · mug · trunk · present · chest · bear · ground · key

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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. trunk — of an elephant
  4. key — in music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ground — crushed
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. present — the time now
  9. chest — a box
  10. present — a gift
  11. content — the amount
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. key — the most important part
  16. content — happy
  17. present — there
  18. mug — a face
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ground — a position
  24. chest — of your body

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