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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 120 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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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: trunk · pound · fine · spring · bulb · rest · rock · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spring — the season
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rest — a break
  10. fine — all right
  11. rock — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. spring — of water
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — to move gently

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