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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rule · bulb · spell · rest · tube · lash · trunk · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — magic
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spell — letters
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rule — government
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — a law
  20. rash — a series
  21. tube — a container
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spell — a short time

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