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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 · mouse · foot · dip · swing · bank · cold · rush

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. swing — music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. swing — in golf

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