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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: degree · lean · dip · trunk · bound · bulb · fall · can

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bound — tied together
  3. can — a tin
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bound — certain
  10. degree — from a university
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — obliged
  20. degree — an amount
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fall — to drop

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