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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — rain
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rest — a break
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. trunk — of a car

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