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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 the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. squash — the sport
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. squash — to crush
  21. toast — bread
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. nail — for a hammer

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