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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. board — a committee
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. current — electric
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. fall — to drop

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