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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. board — a committee
  3. firm — a company
  4. bore — to drill
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lean — to bend
  11. snap — to click
  12. kid — child
  13. lean — thin
  14. bore — to tire
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — the month
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. firm — steady
  20. board — to get on
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — decided
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. march — music

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