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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 116 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 · rest · wind · pound · bass · fine · present · shower

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — the time now
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rest — a break
  14. wind — moving air
  15. present — a gift
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — there
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bass — low music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — rain
  24. fine — high quality

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