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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: bat · current · board · object · arm · date · lie · bulb

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — to get on
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. current — happening now
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — to protest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — of water
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bulb — for light
  17. current — electric
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. date — on the calendar

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