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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: spring · roll · rest · bulb · mug · racket · fall · snap

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — a break
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mug — a face
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spring — of water
  14. fall — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to click
  20. mug — to rob
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bulb — for light
  23. roll — a list
  24. spring — the season

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