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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: fine · arm · wound · bulb · content · chest · board · rock

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chest — a box
  3. content — the amount
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — to get on
  8. fine — all right
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. content — happy
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — an injury
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a committee
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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