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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. track — a song
  9. mug — to rob
  10. board — a committee
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wind — moving air
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — a path
  23. mug — a face
  24. track — to keep track

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