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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fall — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fall — to drop
  16. content — happy
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — a break
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. trunk — of a tree

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