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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: rash · spell · bulb · bank · arm · wound · shower · roll

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — a short time
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bank — for money
  11. roll — a list
  12. spell — letters
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — a series
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — magic
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — rain
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. roll — a cake

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