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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 116 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: mine · lean · board · sharp · leaves · march · bulb · rush

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. march — the month
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — to bend
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rush — hurry
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lean — thin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mine — belonging to me

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