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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. band — a ring
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. last — finally
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. last — final
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. charge — in control
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — a price
  24. bulb — for light

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