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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: stand · bound · nail · bulb · sharp · bowl · fall · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — certain
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fall — the season
  12. kick — in football
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  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