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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.

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: bound · fan · fine · spring · face · bark · lash · bulb

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — of water
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bound — certain
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bark — to shout
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — tied together

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