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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 · season · object · saw · spell · lie · cap · bulb

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — to protest
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — a lid
  9. season — of the year
  10. object — an aim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — a hat
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. object — a thing
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — in sport
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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