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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. present — the time now
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. present — there
  8. stand — to bear
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — to drop
  12. clip — for paper
  13. degree — temperature
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. degree — an amount
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — of the year
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — for light
  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