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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: bulb · mine · stand · rash · fall · lash · bound · land

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — certain
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fall — the season
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. land — ground
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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