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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: mark · spell · bulb · swing · bass · ruler · bank · last

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spell — magic
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — in golf
  6. last — final
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bass — low music
  11. last — finally
  12. spell — letters
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bank — for money
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. swing — to play on
  19. spell — a short time
  20. swing — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — to go on
  24. ruler — a monarch

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