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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitch — completely
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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