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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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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: rush · season · mark · stock · last · bound · bulb · wave

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bound — certain
  3. last — to go on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — obliged
  11. season — in sport
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stock — goods
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. last — finally
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. last — final
  24. season — of the year

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