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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mate — to breed
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — to go on
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. last — final
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. last — finally
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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