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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fall — to drop
  6. band — a music group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fall — the season
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to click
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a ring
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fall — to drop
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — a measure

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