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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: rush · season · straw · lash · ground · trunk · deal · bulb

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ground — a position
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lash — an eyelash

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