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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: bear · calf · hide · rock · bound · fall · swing · bulb

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fall — the season
  7. swing — in golf
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — certain
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bound — obliged

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