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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: tube · field · cabinet · bound · pass · trunk · bulb · wave

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — a permit
  7. field — farmland
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. tube — a container
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. field — for sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — a subject
  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