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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: racket · lie · bulb · file · spring · board · cabinet · bound

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. file — a line of people
  11. board — to get on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — of water
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spring — the season
  17. file — a document
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. file — a tool
  23. bound — tied together
  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