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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spring — the season
  11. snap — to click
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. lean — thin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fan — a supporter

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