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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 124 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. season — in sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — bread
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — of the year
  11. rest — what's left
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rest — a break
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — of a plant

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