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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · bound · lash · wax · leaves · bulb · land · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. file — a document
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. file — a line of people
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bound — tied together
  22. land — ground
  23. file — a tool
  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