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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 · bulb · safe · mate · stick · bound · present · lash

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bulb — for light
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — a gift
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — there
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. present — the time now
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stand — for spectators

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