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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 120 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: saw · spring · band · coach · cabinet · wave · prune · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. band — a ring
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spring — of water
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spring — a coil
  12. band — a music group
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. saw — the tool

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