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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 116 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: last · pop · object · leaves · coach · pass · bound · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — soda
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pop — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — to go on
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — to protest
  14. last — finally
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pop — to visit
  17. last — final
  18. object — a thing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pass — a permit

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