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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. board — a committee
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — a gift
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. band — a music group
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — a trail
  18. board — to get on
  19. present — the time now
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. dip — to sink

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