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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — a position
  6. chest — a box
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. craft — boats
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tube — a container
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitcher — a jug

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