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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: bay · rush · suit · staff · bulb · object · trunk · cold

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. suit — to fit
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — to protest
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. object — an aim
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cold — an illness
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. staff — employees

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