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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — of the year
  5. toast — bread
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a music group
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. board — to get on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. board — a committee
  21. season — in sport
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. toast — the most admired

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