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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pit — a hole
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — rain
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bulb — for light

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