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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. club — a group
  21. rock — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — hasty

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