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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bound — certain
  4. bass — low music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — the fish
  7. land — ground
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — a country
  13. mark — a grade
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mark — a trace
  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