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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — a partner
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. charge — a price
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — a friend
  11. band — a music group
  12. charge — electricity
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. object — a thing
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — in control
  22. object — an aim
  23. spring — the season
  24. object — to protest

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