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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. file — a line of people
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a document
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic

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