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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: bulb · stick · club · bear · last · spring · rash · coach

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — final
  7. club — a group
  8. last — finally
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rash — hasty
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — a series
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for dancing
  19. last — to go on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — the season
  23. club — for golf
  24. bulb — for light

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