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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — a gift
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — after costs
  9. board — to get on
  10. present — there
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mate — a friend
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. present — the time now
  24. lash — to lash out

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