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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — to sink
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — a committee
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — tied together
  24. board — to get on

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