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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — happy
  12. board — to get on
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fine — all right
  21. spring — of water
  22. content — the amount
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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