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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — to get on
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cap — a lid
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — a committee
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bat — for baseball

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