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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fall — to drop
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bear — to put up with

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