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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: face · pitcher · calf · trunk · land · bulb · can · pass

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. face — part of the head
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — a tin
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. face — to confront
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. land — to come down
  24. calf — a young animal

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