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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: fall · safe · bulb · fork · can · calf · trunk · lash

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fall — the season
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — in a road
  19. can — to be able to
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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