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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. toast — bread
  24. trunk — of a car

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