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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 · fall · spell · rash · ball · staff · mate

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mate — a partner
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — the season
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spell — letters
  19. staff — employees
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — a series
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — a friend

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