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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. craft — boats
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fan — a supporter

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