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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: rush · cabinet · rock · mug · sharp · bat · spring · bulb

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spring — the season
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. spring — of water
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spring — a coil
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mug — a face

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