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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. hand — in cards
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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