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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: bulb · fan · bark · coach · wound · bank · fall · can

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — of a tree

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