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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · date · bulb · wind · object · rush · spring · perch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — the fruit
  3. object — to protest
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. object — an aim
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. object — a thing
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spring — of water
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. perch — for a bird

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