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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: rash · rest · craft · bulb · march · bound · branch · rush

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — a division
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — a series
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — certain

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