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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: bulb · wind · bank · trunk · cue · roll · cell · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wind — moving air
  22. roll — a list
  23. wind — moving air
  24. roll — a cake

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