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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: shower · swing · hide · bulb · deal · trunk · race · bark

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. race — a contest
  9. bark — to shout
  10. swing — in golf
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. race — humankind
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. shower — to wash
  15. swing — music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. swing — to play on
  18. race — the arms race
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — 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