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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ground — the earth
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mate — a partner
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — of the year

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