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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: bulb · trunk · pass · rush · craft · toast · chair · cap

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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