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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: net · bulb · drill · face · perch · coach · wound · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. drill — a practice
  13. face — to point toward
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — for catching
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wound — an injury
  22. face — to confront
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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