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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. swing — music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. swing — to play on
  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