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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · leaves · fan · spell · game · rash · club · bulb

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. game — wild animals
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — a match
  8. club — a group
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. club — for golf
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. spell — a short time
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — letters
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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