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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: bay · fine · mark · trunk · content · plane · bulb · bound

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mark — a trace
  9. plane — a tool
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a grade
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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