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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. degree — temperature
  4. lie — to recline
  5. game — a match
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — from a university
  13. last — final
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. last — finally
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fall — the season
  21. last — to go on
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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