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

Word bank: chair · cell · bank · season · nail · trunk · kick · bulb

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. season — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — of the year
  8. bulb — for light
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. kick — in football
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. nail — for a hammer

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