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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: board · mine · root · fall · bulb · lie · perch · pass

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lie — to recline
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. root — of a word
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — a permit
  16. board — to get on
  17. fall — the season
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — the fish

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