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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 116 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: squash · spring · bulb · saw · bass · wave · bound · swing

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — obliged
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — low music
  12. bound — certain
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spring — a coil
  20. squash — to crush
  21. swing — music
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — of water

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