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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spring — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. perch — for a bird

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