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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bank — of a river
  6. file — a document
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — a committee
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. board — to get on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. bulb — for light

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