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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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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: bulb · bat · rock · lean · last · spell · fan · board

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — to get on
  5. spell — letters
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — final
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rock — music
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. board — a committee
  17. bat — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bulb — for light

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