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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: lash · calf · bat · plane · bound · band · march · bulb

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. plane — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. march — the month
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. march — music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. march — the month
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. band — a ring
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a music group

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