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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bat — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a music group
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. staff — a stick
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. season — in sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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