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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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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. firm — decided
  4. chair — a leader
  5. face — part of the head
  6. firm — a company
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. last — final
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. last — to go on
  15. firm — steady
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — to confront
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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