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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. wound — an injury
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bass — low music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a committee
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cold — an illness
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. arm — a part of something

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