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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. season — in sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. face — to confront
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. season — of the year
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. squash — to crush
  19. board — a committee
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. arm — part of the body

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