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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. craft — boats
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mate — a friend
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — to breed
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — a skill
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — to dunk

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