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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: file · spring · chest · rock · rush · bulb · mouse · net

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. file — a document
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — after costs

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