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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. land — ground
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mine — for digging
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — a country
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a committee
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — an explosive

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