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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
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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: spell · last · hide · board · bulb · fan · pit · degree

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. last — to go on
  11. degree — an amount
  12. last — final
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — magic
  19. degree — from a university
  20. board — a committee
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pit — in a race
  23. last — finally
  24. hide — to keep secret

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