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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: calf · bulb · trunk · spell · mug · fall · straw · current

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fall — the season
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fall — to drop
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — happening now
  24. mug — a face

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