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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — a position
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spell — letters
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tear — to rip
  15. season — of the year
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — in sport
  21. ground — the earth
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. tear — from crying

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