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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: wave · jam · stand · bulb · prune · ruler · spring · wind

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. prune — to trim
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spring — of water
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wind — moving air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spring — a coil
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spring — the season
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — the fruit

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