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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 116 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mug — a face
  6. drill — army training
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — thin
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. tube — a container
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cell — a phone
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — the underground

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