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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: saw · can · spring · bound · perch · band · plane · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. band — a music group
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spring — the season
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — obliged
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — certain
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spring — of water
  24. perch — for a bird

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