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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: lie · pound · trunk · bark · craft · bulb · wave · ground

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — boats
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — to recline
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ground — a position
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — of the sea

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