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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.

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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: hide · fall · current · bulb · ball · band · trunk · fan

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fall — to drop
  8. band — a ring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. band — a music group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — the season
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. current — electric
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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