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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rule — government
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — a measure
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — a law
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lean — to bend
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bulb — for light
  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