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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. present — the time now
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — there
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ball — a dance
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mug — a face
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wind — moving air
  19. tube — a container
  20. mug — a cup
  21. present — a gift
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ball — a great time

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