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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. snap — to click
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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