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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. board — to get on
  5. root — the cause
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spring — of water
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. snap — to click
  16. charge — electricity
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spring — the season
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. charge — a price

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