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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chair — a leader
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. board — to get on
  24. mine — belonging to me

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