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

Word bank: rush · fall · bulb · stock · bound · hand · lean · perch

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lean — thin
  4. bound — certain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — shares
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stock — goods
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — help
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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