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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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. bound — certain
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bound — obliged
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tube — a container
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — tied together
  16. snap — to click
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tube — the underground
  20. degree — temperature
  21. kick — in football
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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