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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bound — certain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pop — soda
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. board — a committee
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pop — music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wake — before a funeral

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