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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. branch — a division
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — a break
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — a permit
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bay — a horse colour

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