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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
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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 · dip · face · march · craft · bulb · cap · swing

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. swing — music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. march — music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. swing — in golf
  14. face — to point toward
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cap — of ice
  18. face — part of the head
  19. craft — a skill
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. march — the month
  22. face — to confront
  23. cap — a lid
  24. dip — to sink

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