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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — magic
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lie — to recline

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