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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a document
  13. row — to paddle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. file — a tool
  19. row — a line
  20. wake — a trail
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rash — hasty
  23. file — a line of people
  24. trunk — of a car

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