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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: chest · current · bulb · swing · pass · mug · trunk · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. current — of water
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chest — a box
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. current — happening now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. current — electric
  19. swing — music
  20. mug — a face
  21. swing — in golf
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mug — to rob

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