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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: band · season · current · sharp · mine · bulb · rest · fine

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rest — a break
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — of the year
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — electric
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a ring
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. season — in sport
  24. mine — an explosive

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