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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 116 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: file · rush · bulb · sharp · rest · trunk · lash · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. file — a tool
  10. rest — a break
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rush — hurry
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. club — for golf
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. file — a document
  24. rush — a thrill

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