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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: perch · ball · deal · hide · wind · bulb · board · leaves

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a great time
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — to keep secret

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