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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.

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: bowl · lie · field · calf · game · bound · bulb · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. field — farmland
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. game — a match
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — wild animals
  16. field — a subject
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — for sport
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — certain

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