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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 · lie · present · trunk · net · snap · bulb · spell

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. net — for catching
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lie — to recline
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. present — there
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — after costs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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