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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fine — all right
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — the amount
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — the fish
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. content — happy

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