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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — to get on
  5. suit — in cards
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — employees
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a committee
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — magic
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — a contest
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — the arms race
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. race — humankind

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