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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: bulb · object · bound · shower · row · snap · band · patient

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. object — an aim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. band — a ring
  6. shower — rain
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — obliged
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. band — a music group
  13. row — to paddle
  14. shower — to wash
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. snap — to click
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — a thing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. row — a line
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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