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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 124 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: key · bound · cabinet · bulb · ground · wind · lean · perch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — for a lock
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ground — a position
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lean — thin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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