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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — a stick
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — employees
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. board — to get on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fan — a supporter

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