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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — in a road
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — a company
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. root — the cause
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. root — of a word
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — decided
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cold — not warm
  21. firm — steady
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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