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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — to wash
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. shower — rain
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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