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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. present — a gift
  15. root — the cause
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. present — there
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. present — the time now
  24. date — on the calendar

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