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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · toast · cold · leaves · bulb · mine · ruler · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. toast — bread
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — to get on
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mug — a cup
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ruler — for measuring

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