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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: sharp · land · board · bulb · swing · saw · rush · calf

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. swing — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — a country
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — ground
  16. sharp — clever
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. swing — to play on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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