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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: nail · present · roll · spring · arm · scale · bound · bulb

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — there
  8. scale — in music
  9. roll — a list
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. roll — a cake
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spring — the season
  17. present — a gift
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. present — the time now
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. scale — size or range

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