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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: deal · leaves · prune · bulb · fan · bore · lash · bound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fan — a supporter
  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