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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. land — a country
  11. fall — the season
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — to come down
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. land — ground
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — in geometry

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