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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 124 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rule — government
  10. field — a subject
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. field — for sport
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bat — for baseball

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