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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.

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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: cap · hide · bound · bulb · trunk · net · calf · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — in sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. bound — certain
  22. cap — a hat
  23. calf — a young animal
  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