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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bass · track · spell · drill · spring · rash · mate

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. drill — the tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. drill — army training
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bass — low music
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — a series
  21. spring — of water
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mate — a friend

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