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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. board — a committee
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a music group
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — the animal

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