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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 120 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: band · pop · board · wound · trunk · spring · perch · bulb

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — the season
  6. pop — to visit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spring — of water
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. board — a committee
  11. spring — a coil
  12. band — a ring
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pop — soda
  15. perch — the fish
  16. band — a music group
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. board — to get on

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