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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 · chip · fine · bound · bulb · rash · fan · rest

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spring — of water
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — a series
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rest — a break
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — high quality

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