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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: rush · rock · bulb · scale · lean · sharp · bound · pound

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — thin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. scale — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — for light
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — certain

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