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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · bark · wave · coach · bowl · bulb · drill · field

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. drill — army training
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — for sport
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. field — farmland
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — to shout
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — the tool

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