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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: rush · bulb · bat · wake · date · pound · nail · deal

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — a trail
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bat — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — the fruit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bulb — for light

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