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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. perch — the fish
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — final
  10. file — a line of people
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a document
  19. foot — a measure
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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