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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: bat · rush · bear · bulb · bore · safe · wound · trunk

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wound — an injury
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bat — for baseball

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