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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. firm — steady
  3. board — to get on
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. firm — a company
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kid — child
  14. roll — a list
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. roll — a cake
  17. firm — decided
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. board — a committee
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kid — to tease

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