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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 116 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: kid · perch · bulb · rush · rest · drill · can · season

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kid — to tease
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. drill — army training
  10. can — a tin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. season — of the year
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. kid — child
  24. can — a tin

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