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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: game · bulb · leaves · bound · row · tube · rush · shower

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bound — tied together
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. bound — certain
  15. shower — rain
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rush — hurry
  23. shower — to wash
  24. game — a match

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