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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: bass · bulb · rush · mark · last · tube · fine · wind

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. last — final
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. tube — a container
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bass — low music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tube — the underground
  16. last — finally
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — all right
  21. last — to go on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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