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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 · can · rush · saw · bass · bank · hand · bark

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bass — low music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rush — to hurry

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