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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. staff — a stick
  6. face — to confront
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. season — in sport
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. face — to point toward
  12. chip — for betting
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chip — to eat
  18. season — of the year
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — employees

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