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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. present — a gift
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — the season
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — a committee
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. spring — a coil
  16. present — there
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spring — of water
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — the time now
  22. board — to get on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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