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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rest — a break
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. charge — a price
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. band — a music group

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