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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.

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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: bound · plane · bulb · clip · land · can · stock · rule

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. land — a country
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — a video
  8. can — a tin
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stock — goods
  11. land — to come down
  12. bound — certain
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bound — obliged
  15. can — to be able to
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stock — shares
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — government
  24. land — ground

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