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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cue — a signal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bore — to drill
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — for pool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — size or range

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