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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cap — of ice
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — in music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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