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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. club — for dancing
  7. kick — in football
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. clip — to cut
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. clip — a video
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — a group
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. clip — for paper
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pass — to succeed

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