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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: firm · bear · race · bulb · rush · band · straw · patient

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. race — humankind
  4. bear — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — hurry
  8. firm — decided
  9. band — a music group
  10. race — the arms race
  11. firm — steady
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — a company
  22. race — a contest
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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