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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — in control
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cold — not warm
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cold — an illness
  18. can — to be able to
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — a price
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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