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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: rash · fork · stick · straw · bulb · trunk · root · mine

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. root — of a word
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. root — the cause
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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