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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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