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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. object — to protest
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — a committee
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — to get on
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. object — an aim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. chest — a box

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