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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kid — to tease
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. roll — a list
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kid — child
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bowl — a dish

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