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

Word bank: tear · bulb · suit · rush · snap · trunk · season · staff

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. suit — in cards
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. snap — to click
  12. tear — from crying
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. tear — to rip

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