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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: rock · net · rush · season · bulb · leaves · wind · fine

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. season — in sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rock — music
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. fine — high quality
  24. net — after costs

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