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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rash — a series
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — government
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. kid — to tease
  19. board — a committee
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rule — a law
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kid — child

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