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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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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: foot · ground · rush · board · wake · bulb · lean · deal

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. deal — to handle
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — thin
  13. board — to get on
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ground — a position
  16. board — a committee
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. foot — a measure
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. deal — an agreement

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