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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: firm · rush · clip · toast · chest · bulb · trunk · racket

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. firm — a company
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — bread
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. firm — steady
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — of your body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. clip — a video
  24. firm — decided

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