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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — thin
  8. club — for golf
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — a group
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — of water
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lean — to bend

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