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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: game · bowl · bound · cabinet · bulb · wake · lie · board

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. game — a match
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — certain
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wake — a trail

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