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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. net — for catching
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rash — hasty
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to bend
  12. net — in sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — a committee
  16. lean — thin
  17. rest — a break
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. net — after costs
  24. rest — what's left

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