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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — a container
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. firm — steady
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. kid — child
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kid — to tease
  23. firm — a company
  24. tube — in a tire

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