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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · fall · bass · bulb · leaves · rest

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rest — a break
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bass — the fish
  8. board — a committee
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — low music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — to get on
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fall — the season

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