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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: charge · patient · bound · lean · object · bulb · craft · ground

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bound — certain
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — thin
  14. object — a thing
  15. craft — boats
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ground — crushed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. object — an aim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. bulb — of a plant

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