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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mate — a partner
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. spell — letters
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spell — magic
  15. net — after costs
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. net — for catching
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mate — a friend
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spell — a short time

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