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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: bulb · bear · fork · bass · saw · hide · roll · bound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — low music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bear — the animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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