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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 · snap · saw · bulb · roll · board · pass · hand

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. snap — to click
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. board — to get on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — help
  19. roll — a cake
  20. board — a committee
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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