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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 120 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: spring · shower · bulb · bound · rest · bank · current · present

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bound — certain
  5. present — a gift
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — happening now
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — there
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spring — a coil
  15. shower — rain
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. present — the time now
  18. current — of water
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — the season
  23. rest — a break
  24. bound — obliged

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