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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — to get on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. board — a committee
  9. bound — tied together
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — there
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. shower — rain
  17. present — the time now
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bulb — of a plant

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