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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. board — to get on
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. shower — rain
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. shower — to wash
  21. board — a committee
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rock — music

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