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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. season — in sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. board — a committee
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cell — a phone
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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