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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: board · present · trunk · track · bulb · ruler · row · rash

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a committee
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — a song
  14. row — a line
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rash — a series
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. row — to paddle
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — to get on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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