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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. shower — rain
  6. pit — a hole
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — a committee
  14. mine — for digging
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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