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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. board — a committee
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spell — magic
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hand — help
  20. board — to get on
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bulb — for light

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