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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spring — the season
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fall — to drop
  14. present — there
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — the time now
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — the season
  21. present — a gift
  22. spring — of water
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hide — to keep secret

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