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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 120 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: wave · bound · bulb · saw · mug · land · last · cap

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mug — a face
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — obliged
  8. land — ground
  9. bound — tied together
  10. land — a country
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — to come down
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. saw — the tool
  17. last — finally
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — a cup
  20. last — final
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — certain
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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