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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: cap · sharp · wind · rush · bass · bulb · bear · rock

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bass — low music
  24. rush — 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