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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. snap — to click
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — to breed
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — army training
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — a friend
  24. arm — part of the body

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