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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: spell · rash · ground · bulb · club · straw · rush · saw

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rush — hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spell — magic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — hasty
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. club — for golf
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — a series
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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