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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. row — a line
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. clip — a video
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. clip — for paper
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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