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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. spring — a coil
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — the season
  7. object — a thing
  8. board — to get on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — to protest
  11. fall — the season
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — to breed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mate — a friend
  19. board — a committee
  20. spring — of water
  21. object — an aim
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bulb — of a plant

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