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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: scale · trunk · lean · charge · bulb · safe · band · bark

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. charge — in control
  7. band — a music group
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — in music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. band — a ring
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — to bend
  22. scale — size or range
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bulb — for light

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