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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. land — ground
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bulb — of a plant

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