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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. can — a tin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a hat
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wind — moving air

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