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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 · rest · plane · bulb · bound · net · row · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. shower — to wash
  5. row — to paddle
  6. net — for catching
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — certain
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — a break
  24. bound — obliged

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