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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hand — help

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