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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cell — a phone
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chest — a box
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fork — in a road
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cell — in a prison

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