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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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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: capital · sharp · bound · hide · deal · bay · stick · bulb

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — clever
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. capital — a city
  14. bulb — for light
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bound — certain
  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