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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 120 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: coach · rash · bulb · arm · spell · cold · bank · mouse

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bank — for money
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — a series
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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