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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. board — a committee
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. content — happy
  12. mate — a friend
  13. content — the amount
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mate — to breed
  23. board — to get on
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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