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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wax — to grow
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. staff — a stick
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — to get on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — a trainer

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