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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
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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: kid · rock · arm · mine · rush · wind · bulb · bound

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rock — music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wind — moving air
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kid — child
  24. wind — to turn a key

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