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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: bear · trunk · spring · kick · ground · firm · bulb · dip

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kick — in football
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. firm — decided
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. bear — to put up with

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