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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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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: bulb · tear · pop · fan · spell · land · bear · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — to visit
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — letters
  13. land — ground
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — certain
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bear — to put up with

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