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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: trunk · bulb · swing · wave · leaves · temple · lash · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. swing — to play on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. temple — side of the head

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