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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. swing — music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. field — farmland
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. field — for sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. field — a subject
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rock — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. swing — to play on

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