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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chest — of your body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chest — a box
  17. bass — low music
  18. wound — an injury

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