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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 · nail · trunk · tear · march · hide · suit · current

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tear — from crying
  3. march — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. current — happening now
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. march — the month
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — of water
  24. trunk — of a tree

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