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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — low music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rash — a series

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