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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 116 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
468
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: bulb · scale · chair · lie · wake · saw · pit · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pit — a hole
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. scale — in music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bulb — of a plant

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