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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. suit — in cards
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. sharp — clever
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chest — a box
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. trunk — of a tree

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