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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · calf · rash · bowl · bulb · sharp · trunk · mine

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rash — a series
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rash — hasty

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