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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 · spring · rush · mouse · roll · jam · mark · rash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — a trace
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. roll — a list
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. rash — a series
  22. rush — hurry
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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