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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. suit — clothes
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cold — an illness
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cold — not warm
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pit — a hole
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — in a race

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