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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: bulb · pound · roll · trunk · lash · drill · safe · staff

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. staff — a stick
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. drill — army training
  11. roll — a list
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. roll — a cake
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. drill — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pound — to hit hard

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