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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. roll — a cake
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — to get on
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. staff — employees
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — in music
  10. staff — employees
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cap — of ice
  18. board — a committee
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. staff — a stick
  23. roll — a list
  24. scale — size or range

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