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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — the season
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bound — obliged
  8. date — the fruit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. net — after costs
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — in sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. net — for catching
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bound — certain

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