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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.

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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: cap · snap · bass · calf · bulb · key · face · trunk

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cap — a hat
  10. snap — to click
  11. face — to confront
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. key — in music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bass — low music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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