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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — a face
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — to rob
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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