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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — a hole
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mug — a face
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. land — to come down
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rash — a series
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — a country
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — for a computer

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