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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 112 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a committee
  11. face — to point toward
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. game — a match
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. face — to confront

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