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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 116 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: staff · tube · bound · calf · bulb · coach · rash · march

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. march — the month
  6. rash — a series
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. march — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — a stick
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. staff — employees
  16. rash — hasty
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — a container
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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