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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.

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: bulb · cold · bear · wave · bound · stem · object · lean

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. object — to protest
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lean — thin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — an aim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bulb — for light

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