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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — decided
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — there
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — magic
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. firm — steady
  12. spell — a short time
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — a trail
  20. firm — a company
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spell — letters
  24. chair — a professorship

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