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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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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: wave · spring · bound · bulb · rest · rush · club · pitcher

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. club — a group
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — for golf
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. rest — a break
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rush — to hurry

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