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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rash — a series
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — help

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