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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 the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. tube — the underground
  3. face — part of the head
  4. content — happy
  5. rash — a series
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. face — to confront
  17. craft — a skill
  18. content — the amount
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. craft — boats

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