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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. land — ground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. staff — employees
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a music group
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. land — a country
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. staff — employees
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. staff — a stick

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