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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.

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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. board — a committee
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. band — a ring
  19. rest — what's left
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rest — a break
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. leaves — of a tree

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