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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spring — a coil
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. board — a committee
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. board — to get on
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spring — of water
  20. net — in sport
  21. game — a match
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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