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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 · track · bulb · bay · rush · rash · stand · fine

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. track — a song
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. track — a path
  22. rash — hasty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fine — all right

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