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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fine — all right
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rest — a break
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rush — hurry
  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