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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · plane · can · fan · court · mate · wind · bulb

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. court — of a king
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. court — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mate — a partner
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of law
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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