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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: deal · bear · object · calf · club · trunk · saw · wind

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. object — a thing
  15. club — a group
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. club — for dancing
  24. trunk — of a car

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