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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 120 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 · nail · chair · wound · staff · temple · bulb · rock

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — a committee
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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