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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. content — happy
  10. mine — for digging
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bark — to shout
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. content — the amount

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