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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: tube · stand · bulb · straw · rule · can · wound · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — the underground
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — to bear
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — government
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — a container
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bound — obliged

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