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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 120 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
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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: lie · straw · bound · stem · bulb · cell · ball · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cell — in biology
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. club — a group
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bound — certain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lie — to recline

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