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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: bulb · foot · rush · bank · wave · rock · sharp · mark

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mark — a grade
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. sharp — clever
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bank — of a river

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