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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a ring
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — to get on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a music group
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. board — a committee
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hide — to keep secret

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