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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: mate · pop · bulb · chair · pass · bound · cabinet · chest

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bound — certain
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chest — a box
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — soda
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chair — a professorship

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