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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.

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: rash · coach · safe · straw · wind · trunk · march · bulb

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rash — on the skin

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