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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rest — a break
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — to get on
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pop — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pop — soda
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pop — to visit
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kid — child
  16. land — a country
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — ground
  23. kid — to tease
  24. snap — to click

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