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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. present — there
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lie — to recline
  13. squash — the sport
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. present — a gift
  20. fork — in a road
  21. present — the time now
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lie — an untruth

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