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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitch — completely
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. squash — the sport
  17. face — to point toward
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bulb — for light
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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