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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: roll · race · fork · cabinet · trunk · staff · lie · bulb

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fork — in a road
  14. race — humankind
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. roll — a cake
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. staff — employees
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — a contest
  24. roll — a list

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