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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. spring — of water
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spell — letters
  7. kick — in football
  8. rock — music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pop — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spring — the season
  17. spell — magic
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pop — soda
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bank — for money

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