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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: bulb · patient · plane · kid · fall · bound · spring · stand

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — the season
  5. fall — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. kid — child
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stand — to bear
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — of water
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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