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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. last — finally
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — to go on
  13. row — a line
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. last — final

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