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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: lash · dip · bulb · bass · trunk · content · cap · bound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cap — a hat
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bound — tied together
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bass — low music
  14. bound — certain
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cap — of ice
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — happy
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lash — to lash out

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