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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: craft · rush · rest · file · club · cue · spring · bulb

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spring — of water
  3. cue — for pool
  4. file — a document
  5. spring — the season
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cue — a signal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. file — a tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a hint
  16. club — a group
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. club — for golf
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rest — a break

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