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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — low music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rule — government
  16. chest — a box
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rule — a law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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