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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stand — to bear
  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