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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: hide · bound · trunk · stock · fall · land · chip · bulb

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. land — to come down
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fall — the season
  8. bound — tied together
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — goods
  12. land — a country
  13. chip — to eat
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stock — shares
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. chip — in a computer

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