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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kid — child
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — a thing
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lean — thin
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — to bend
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. object — an aim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tube — in a tire

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