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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. cap — of ice
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fall — the season
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. object — to protest
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — for catching
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. object — a thing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. net — in sport
  24. cap — a hat

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