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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: charge · mouse · trunk · bulb · band · shower · nail · craft

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. band — a music group
  3. shower — to wash
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — boats
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a ring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. charge — a price
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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