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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: bulb · trunk · wound · key · rush · hand · roll · rash

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. roll — a list
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. key — in music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hand — in cards
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hand — help
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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