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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 · club · leaves · last · bowl · bore · trunk · hide

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. club — for golf
  4. bore — to tire
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. last — finally
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. club — a group
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. last — to go on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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