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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — a trail
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — an aim
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. land — to come down
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. object — to protest
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. land — ground
  19. rest — a break
  20. row — a line
  21. land — a country
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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