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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: staff · lean · season · rush · straw · club · bulb · band

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — for golf
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — in sport
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. club — for dancing
  9. staff — employees
  10. rush — hurry
  11. band — a music group
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. season — of the year
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. club — a group
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  24. season — to add flavour

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