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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 116 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: wind · band · wake · safe · racket · prune · spring · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spring — a coil
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — a trail
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. band — a music group
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — a loud noise

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