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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. craft — boats
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rule — government
  10. row — to paddle
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. toast — bread
  14. rush — hurry
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. row — a line
  20. craft — a skill
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rule — a law

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