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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bulb — for light
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fork — in a road
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chair — a leader

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