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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: trunk · craft · bulb · rest · bank · land · deal · march

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. bank — of a river
  5. deal — to handle
  6. craft — a skill
  7. march — the month
  8. land — ground
  9. march — music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bank — for money
  12. land — a country
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — boats

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