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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 · last · chip · toast · trunk · pass · deal · rash

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. last — final
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. last — finally
  7. pass — a permit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chip — for betting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. toast — bread
  16. chip — to eat
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. deal — to handle
  22. last — to go on
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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