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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: plane · spell · saw · wake · straw · bulb · board · rest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spell — magic
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. spell — a short time
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. rest — what's left
  24. board — a flat piece

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