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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kid — to tease
  16. deal — to handle
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tube — a container
  21. kid — child
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — an agreement

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