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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. degree — temperature
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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