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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. land — to come down
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. land — a country
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. land — ground
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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