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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: patient · bound · mark · pop · face · bulb · file · trunk

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — music
  5. file — a document
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — soda
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bound — certain
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — tied together
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. file — a line of people
  19. face — to confront
  20. pop — to visit
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bound — obliged
  23. file — a tool
  24. mark — a trace

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