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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 · rush · pit · squash · bulb · shower · rest · bark

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. shower — to wash
  5. spring — of water
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rest — a break
  11. shower — rain
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spring — the season
  24. rush — to hurry

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