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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fine — all right
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. present — there
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — the time now
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. last — finally
  10. present — a gift
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. last — to go on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — final
  18. stock — goods
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fine — high quality

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