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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. land — a country
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bound — obliged
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. hand — in cards
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — ground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — certain

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