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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: rash · wound · pound · trunk · coach · bulb · tube · cap

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cap — a lid
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. tube — a container
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. tube — the underground
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — a weight
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wound — an injury
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a hat
  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