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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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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: foot · straw · pass · trunk · bulb · fork · snap · temple

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. snap — to click
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — in a road
  8. foot — a measure
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — a permit
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bulb — of a plant

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