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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — steady
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. shower — rain
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. clip — a video
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. board — a committee

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