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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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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: bat · dip · trunk · kick · shower · bulb · stick · perch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. shower — rain
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — the fish
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. perch — for a bird

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