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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: swing · tube · mark · spell · bound · rest · face · bulb

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bound — obliged
  4. face — to confront
  5. rest — a break
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — letters
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — magic
  23. face — part of the head
  24. swing — music

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