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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · coach · bulb · rush · fall · rest · bear · trunk

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — the season
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — a break
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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