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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: bat · lash · current · trunk · spring · bank · file · bulb

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — the season
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bank — of a river
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. current — of water
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. file — a tool
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — electric
  23. file — a document
  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