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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. board — a committee
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — the underground
  22. board — to get on
  23. wound — an injury
  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