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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 116 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: bear · present · chair · trunk · stick · craft · bulb · mug

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mug — a face
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. craft — boats
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. present — a gift
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. present — the time now
  21. chair — a leader
  22. craft — a skill
  23. present — there
  24. bear — the animal

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