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

Word bank: board · suit · pound · ruler · bulb · clip · chest · hide

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. board — to get on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. board — a committee
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — a video
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — a weight
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — clothes
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chest — a box
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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