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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — a permit
  7. game — a match
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — a cup
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. degree — an amount
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — thin
  16. mug — a face
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lean — to bend

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