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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — to keep track
  4. file — a document
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. track — a path
  16. board — a committee
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — a song
  19. file — a tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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