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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: trunk · bound · current · lie · bass · mouse · patient · bulb

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — low music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — tied together
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — happening now

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