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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. swing — music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — a committee
  7. lie — to recline
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spring — of water
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. swing — to play on
  18. row — to paddle
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fine — all right
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — a coil

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