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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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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: bulb · jam · rest · calf · current · spring · staff · band

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — the season
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. current — of water
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a music group
  21. spring — of water
  22. staff — employees
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — electric

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