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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: lean · swing · bulb · trunk · tear · cue · cell · drill

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a hint
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cell — in biology
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. tear — from crying
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tear — to rip
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cue — for pool
  24. trunk — of a tree

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