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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spell — a short time
  9. current — electric
  10. board — a committee
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — of water
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. spell — magic

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