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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — to rip
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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