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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: coach · rush · snap · bulb · date · fork · fan · bound

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to click
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bulb — for light
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. date — on the calendar
  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