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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bark — to shout
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — a break
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bulb — for light

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