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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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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: rush · stem · bound · staff · bulb · rock · field · lie

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — to come from
  5. field — for sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — a subject
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rock — a stone
  23. field — farmland
  24. lie — an untruth

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