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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.

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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: chest · spell · trunk · straw · firm · can · wind · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. firm — decided
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chest — a box
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spell — a short time
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — magic
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — letters
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wind — to turn a key

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