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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 · season · dip · fine · hand · board · bulb · rush

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — hurry
  13. board — to get on
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — of the year
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mine — for digging
  24. season — in sport

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