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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 · season · lie · net · rule · object · kick · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. kick — in football
  3. season — of the year
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — to protest
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — a thing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. object — an aim
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — to recline
  21. net — in sport
  22. bound — certain
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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