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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bulb — for light
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stem — to come from
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chest — a box
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — certain
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. date — on the calendar

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