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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. spell — letters
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. land — a country
  7. band — a music group
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. band — a ring
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. spell — magic
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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