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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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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: cabinet · rest · stock · bulb · trunk · cap · lash · bound

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — goods
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stock — shares
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — of ice
  24. trunk — of a car

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