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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: squash · bulb · arm · rush · bat · pass · wind · bank

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bat — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wind — moving air
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pass — a permit
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — a thrill

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