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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: spring · bulb · bear · swing · cap · rock · firm · wave

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. swing — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spring — of water
  7. rock — a stone
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cap — a hat
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. firm — a company
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spring — the season

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