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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bat — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. trunk — of a car

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