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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: board · cue · rock · spell · degree · lean · bulb · nail

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — magic
  8. lean — thin
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. board — to get on
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cue — a hint
  24. spell — letters

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