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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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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 · lash · nail · hide · board · land · ball · bound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bound — obliged
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a great time
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bound — certain
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. nail — on a finger

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