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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 116 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 · tear · coach · hide · trunk · march · cap · ruler

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tear — to rip
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. cap — of ice
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tear — from crying
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — of a plant

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