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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: swing · bay · bulb · fork · wound · trunk · prune · march

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wound — an injury
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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