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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
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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 · suit · wound · wave · rash · trunk · wind · mine

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rash — a series
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wound — an injury

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