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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: mate · present · race · fall · bulb · trunk · current · shower

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. shower — to wash
  3. present — the time now
  4. mate — a friend
  5. shower — rain
  6. race — a contest
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — electric
  10. race — humankind
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — to breed
  16. current — of water
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. current — happening now
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. mate — a partner

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