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

Word bank: snap · row · board · bear · bulb · firm · spell · stick

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — magic
  3. firm — steady
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — a line
  8. firm — a company
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. board — to get on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. firm — decided
  15. spell — letters
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. snap — to click
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — a short time

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