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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: suit · trunk · sharp · chair · wind · scale · bulb · kick

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kick — in football
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — in music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — a thrill

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