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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. march — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mug — a face
  14. chair — a leader
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mug — to rob

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