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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: bound · kick · season · fan · coach · bulb · rest · can

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rest — a break
  5. bound — obliged
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bound — tied together
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — certain
  13. kick — in football
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. rest — what's left

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