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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — a leader
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. swing — music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kid — child
  17. bulb — for light
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kid — to tease
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. shower — rain

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