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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — an aim
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — a thing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — to protest
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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