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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: rush · straw · track · bulb · swing · fork · bear · mate

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mate — a partner
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — a path
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bear — the animal
  24. track — a song

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