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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · sharp · board · spring · mouse · bulb · mine · fan

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spring — the season
  19. board — a committee
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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