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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fall — the season
  11. roll — a list
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. roll — a cake
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. racket — a loud noise

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