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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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. ground — crushed
  4. cell — in biology
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. band — a ring
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. lean — to bend
  11. key — the most important part
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. branch — a division
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. band — a music group
  24. ground — a position

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