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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: kid · hand · game · trunk · fine · bulb · suit · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — all right
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. game — a match
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. game — wild animals

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