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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: bulb · track · swing · saw · trunk · hand · rash · present

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hand — help
  3. present — there
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rash — hasty
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. track — to keep track
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. track — a path
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. track — a song
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. hand — in cards

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