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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. field — a subject
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. field — farmland
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — for sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rest — a break
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stock — goods

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