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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: saw · board · bulb · current · hide · squash · land · sharp

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. land — ground
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — to get on
  8. land — a country
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — to come down
  16. squash — to crush
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — electric
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — the vegetable

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