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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: ball · cell · swing · wake · ruler · hide · trunk · bulb

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ball — a great time

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