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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 120 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
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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: trunk · safe · stock · bulb · perch · chest · row · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lie — to recline
  4. row — a line
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — shares
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — goods
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — a box
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chest — of your body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bulb — for light

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