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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. staff — employees
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. band — a music group
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. shower — rain
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. staff — employees
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a ring
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — a trail
  22. object — to protest
  23. staff — a stick
  24. object — a thing

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