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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. spring — of water
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — a coil
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. spring — the season
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. object — to protest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — money
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — of a king
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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