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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. field — a subject
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. firm — decided
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. firm — steady
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. firm — a company
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. perch — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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