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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cold — not warm
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. leaves — lets stay

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