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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.

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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: bulb · hide · bass · pass · fall · cabinet · bound · rush

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — certain
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bulb — for light

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