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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: kick · dip · spring · chip · bound · craft · ground · bulb

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — boats
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ground — a position
  13. spring — a coil
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bound — certain
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — the season
  24. craft — a handicraft

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