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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. row — a line
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. race — the arms race
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — humankind
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. race — a contest
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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