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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 · cell · mine · bulb · wind · deal · roll · board

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. board — to get on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — for digging
  12. roll — a list
  13. board — a committee
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. roll — a cake
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. board — a flat piece

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