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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ball — a dance
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — a break
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mate — a friend
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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