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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. snap — to click
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. file — a line of people
  7. roll — a cake
  8. spell — a short time
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. file — a document
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spell — magic
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. file — a tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. rock — a stone
  24. spell — letters

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