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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 120 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: hand · bound · suit · bulb · board · pop · wind · swing

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — obliged
  4. suit — in cards
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. board — a committee
  19. pop — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — to get on
  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