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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. face — part of the head
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. face — to point toward
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wax — to grow
  16. game — a match
  17. rest — a break
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rest — what's left
  24. game — wild animals

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