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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rest — a break
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pop — music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — in music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bulb — for light
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. scale — size or range
  23. key — in music
  24. straw — dry grass

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