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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: jam · pound · bulb · bound · wave · cell · hide · prune

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bound — obliged
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bound — certain
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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