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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · roll · season · can · board · mug · rash

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — hasty
  3. roll — a cake
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. board — to get on
  8. mug — to rob
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. mug — a face
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. board — a committee
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. roll — a list
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. can — a tin
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — a series

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