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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a dance
  6. last — finally
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bulb — for light
  12. last — to go on
  13. board — a committee
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — final
  19. spring — of water
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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