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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 120 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 · file · cell · mouse · mark · bulb · charge · trunk

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mark — a trace
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rash — a series
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cell — a phone
  13. file — a document
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. bulb — for light
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cell — in biology
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — electricity

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