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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bass — the fish
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — to come down
  14. chest — a box
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. land — a country

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