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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. club — for golf
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. shower — to wash
  13. board — to get on
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. present — the time now
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rule — government
  20. club — a group
  21. rule — a law
  22. shower — rain
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. club — for dancing

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