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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rest — a break
  6. lean — thin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — a grade
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — in control
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. squash — the sport
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — to pay attention

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