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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — for dancing
  3. object — a thing
  4. face — part of the head
  5. staff — a stick
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. staff — employees
  10. club — for golf
  11. object — an aim
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — a line
  24. club — a group

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