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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: mine · straw · calf · bulb · sharp · trunk · cabinet · track

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. track — a path
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. track — a song
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. sharp — exactly

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