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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: bound · cabinet · bulb · face · row · bay · snap · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bulb — for light
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — part of the head
  11. row — to paddle
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — a line
  15. bound — obliged
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. spell — magic
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bound — certain

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