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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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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bound — obliged
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. snap — to click
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — certain
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pop — to visit
  18. band — a music group
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pop — music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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