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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 124 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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. face — to confront
  6. rash — hasty
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — part of the head
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. object — a thing
  16. roll — a list
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — a series
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bulb — for light

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