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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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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 · foot · trunk · last · season · fork · bulb · nail

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — final
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fork — in a road
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. season — in sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. season — of the year
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — a series
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — to go on

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