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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — a break
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pop — music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — to visit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — thin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. safe — a strongbox

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