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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
468
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: band · bulb · nail · snap · mug · trunk · kick · march

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mug — a cup
  6. snap — to click
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. march — the month
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mug — a face
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kick — in football
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. band — a ring
  22. mug — to rob
  23. band — a music group
  24. trunk — of a tree

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