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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: bulb · band · spring · prune · last · sharp · rush · can

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — to trim
  4. band — a ring
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a music group
  8. can — to be able to
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spring — the season
  12. last — finally
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. rush — hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spring — of water

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