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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: bulb · ground · spell · current · trunk · straw · drill · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. ground — the earth
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — a practice
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. current — electric
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — letters
  18. ground — crushed
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ground — a position
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — for light

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