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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.

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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: lash · pitcher · trunk · bay · hide · spell · bulb · land

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. land — ground
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. land — a country
  6. spell — letters
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — to come down
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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