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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 116 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: rock · hide · net · bulb · drill · fork · pop · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pop — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pop — soda
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. net — for catching
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. net — in sport
  20. drill — army training
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rock — to move gently

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