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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 116 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: bat · rush · kick · bulb · cap · deal · trunk · prune

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. deal — to handle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cap — a lid
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. kick — in football

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