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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: trunk · mug · land · scale · foot · hide · roll · bear

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. land — to come down
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. land — ground
  5. scale — size or range
  6. roll — a list
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — a face
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. land — a country
  13. mug — to rob
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — in music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the 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