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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 · board · kick · bear · wake · staff · bound · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wake — a trail
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. board — a committee
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — tied together

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