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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. craft — boats
  7. field — farmland
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. field — for sport
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — army training
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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