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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: trunk · file · bore · march · fall · ground · bulb · current

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fall — the season
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — happening now
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. current — electric
  13. ground — crushed
  14. march — the month
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ground — a position
  17. file — a tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — music
  21. file — a document
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. current — of water

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