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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. ground — crushed
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bank — of a river
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ground — a position
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. shower — to wash
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. shower — rain
  24. bulb — for light

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