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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: fan · drill · rest · bulb · mug · club · chest · spring

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — to rob
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — the season
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — a box
  18. mug — a face
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — of water
  23. chest — of your body
  24. club — for golf

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