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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · chair · present · bulb · key · lash · bat · patient

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — there
  9. bat — the animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. key — in music
  21. present — the time now
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bat — for baseball

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