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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ground — a position
  21. chest — a box
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chest — of your body

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