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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: field · bulb · ball · cell · cold · bore · craft · trunk

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. field — for sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cell — in biology
  18. field — a subject
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bore — to drill
  21. craft — boats
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bulb — for light
  24. craft — a handicraft

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