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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
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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 · bound · mug · toast · march · hide · roll · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — certain
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. toast — bread
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a face
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — obliged
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — to rob
  23. roll — a list
  24. mug — a cup

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