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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · trunk · cell · rock · bulb · cold · face · lie

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rock — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — to confront
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cold — an illness
  18. can — a tin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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