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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: sharp · trunk · bulb · file · root · season · spring · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spring — of water
  7. file — a tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a document
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — in sport
  14. root — of a plant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. root — the cause
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — a coil
  24. season — of the year

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