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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. present — a gift
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bear — the animal

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