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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a music group
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a great time
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — a trace
  23. shower — rain
  24. dip — to sink

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