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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — the tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a committee
  8. band — a music group
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. net — after costs
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. board — to get on
  23. band — a ring
  24. leaves — to go away

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