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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: cap · bass · spell · bulb · bound · rule · present · wake

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. present — there
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spell — letters
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bass — low music

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