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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. key — for a lock
  12. land — a country
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. suit — clothes
  15. land — ground
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. land — to come down
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. sharp — with an edge

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