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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 · chest · trunk · court · deal · bulb · lean · ground

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chest — a box
  4. court — for sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. court — of a king
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chest — of your body
  16. court — of law
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. deal — a big deal

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