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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 120 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: plane · net · trunk · bulb · rule · rash · bay · ground

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. rule — a law
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ground — crushed
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rash — a series
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ground — a position
  22. rule — government
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bulb — for light

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