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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: bound · track · fan · trunk · saw · cell · present · bulb

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. present — the time now
  2. bound — certain
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. track — a song
  12. present — a gift
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — a phone
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cell — in biology
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. fan — to cool the air
  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