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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a leader
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. scale — in music
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. rock — a stone
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. track — a path
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. last — finally
  21. scale — size or range
  22. face — to confront
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. can — to be able to

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