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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. object — to protest
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a line of people
  14. season — of the year
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. season — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. straw — a straw man

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