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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. key — in music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. firm — a company
  9. mine — for digging
  10. firm — decided
  11. key — for a lock
  12. firm — steady
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. kid — child
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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