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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mark — a trace
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — after costs
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wind — moving air
  17. capital — money
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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