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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: rest · land · bear · court · bulb · rock · lean · rush

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. court — for sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lean — to bend
  12. court — of a king
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. court — of law
  17. rest — a break
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rest — what's left

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