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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rock — music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a committee
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. present — a gift
  17. board — to get on
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fall — the season
  23. present — there
  24. bulb — for light

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