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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · deal · lash · bulb · bound · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — farmland
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. spell — letters
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — a short time
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. field — a subject

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