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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 · rush · mine · can · rash · firm · band · rock

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. can — a tin
  3. band — a music group
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rock — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — a company
  21. rock — a stone
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — a series
  24. mine — for digging

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