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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: lie · mine · roll · pop · pit · trunk · bulb · season

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pop — music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pop — soda
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — to visit
  13. season — of the year
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. roll — a list
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — in a race
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. season — in sport

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