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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fall — the season
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chair — a leader
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fall — to drop

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