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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — a permit
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. date — the fruit

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