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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: bound · cap · straw · arm · spell · bulb · lie · mark

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spell — letters
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — certain
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — magic

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