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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — thin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a document
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kid — to tease
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. file — a line of people
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. board — a committee
  17. kid — child
  18. snap — to click
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. file — a tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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