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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 · spring · stick · rush · last · jam · racket · spell

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spring — of water
  5. spell — letters
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. last — final
  10. spring — the season
  11. last — to go on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — hurry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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