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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.

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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: wind · bass · bulb · hand · can · cabinet · bound · dip

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bass — low music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — help
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — certain
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. can — a tin
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hand — part of the body

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