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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of law
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. court — of a king
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. toast — bread
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. snap — to click
  24. court — for sport

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