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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.

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: lie · object · file · bulb · swing · bound · hide · stick

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — in golf
  3. object — to protest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bound — certain
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. swing — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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