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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — to go on
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. march — music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. last — finally
  10. board — a committee
  11. degree — from a university
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — an amount
  16. last — final
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. degree — temperature
  24. straw — dry grass

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