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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. scale — in music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — size or range
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. object — an aim
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — a thing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — to succeed

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