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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. object — an aim
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. object — a thing
  9. spell — magic
  10. face — to confront
  11. spell — a short time
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. band — a music group
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. band — a ring
  19. spell — letters
  20. rock — music
  21. object — to protest
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to point toward

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