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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to point toward
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rule — a law
  8. face — part of the head
  9. club — for golf
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — government
  13. staff — employees
  14. face — to confront
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. club — for dancing
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spell — a short time
  24. club — a group

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