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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 120 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 · tube · stick · rush · season · bulb · row · calf

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. row — a line
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spring — the season
  15. tube — a container
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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