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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: plane · can · staff · bulb · bat · prune · wound · tube

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tube — a container
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — a tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — to be able to
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. can — a tin
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wound — an injury

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