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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — a gift
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bank — for money
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. tear — to rip
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — of a river
  16. key — in music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tear — from crying
  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