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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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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: trunk · tear · snap · drill · rest · bulb · mark · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. mark — a trace
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tear — to rip
  7. drill — army training
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tear — from crying
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. snap — to click

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