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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: tear · bulb · rock · trunk · pitcher · can · mug · lie

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — to rob
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mug — a face
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rock — a stone
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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