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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · wind · game · bound · bulb · arm · pitch · wax

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. row — a line
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wax — to grow
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — a quarrel

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