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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spell — letters
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. land — ground
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. spell — magic
  24. deal — a big deal

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