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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: spring · firm · bulb · stick · fall · spell · bowl · current

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — electric
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fall — the season
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — the season
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spring — of water
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — a coil
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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