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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pop — soda
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fine — all right
  22. pop — music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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