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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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. mine — for digging
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. swing — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — certain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chest — of your body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bulb — of a plant

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