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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · bound · wound · bulb · arm · face · mouse · chest

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bound — tied together
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chest — of your body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bound — certain
  18. chest — a box
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bound — obliged
  21. face — to confront
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. arm — part of the body

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