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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. current — happening now
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. current — electric
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. capital — a city
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. capital — money
  24. current — of water

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