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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — part of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. net — in sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. bound — certain
  11. board — to get on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — to confront
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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