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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. swing — music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. squash — the sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spring — of water
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. plane — a tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spring — the season
  23. squash — to crush
  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