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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. board — a committee
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — to get on
  10. rest — a break
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tear — to rip
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. row — to paddle
  23. tear — from crying
  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