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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: dip · bulb · lean · swing · bowl · bound · stem · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bound — obliged
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. swing — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. swing — to play on

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