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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: fall · stem · bulb · patient · bound · board · lean · march

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — tied together
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. march — the month
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — the season
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — to get on
  17. bound — certain
  18. march — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lean — to rest against

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