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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mark — a grade
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mine — for digging
  16. snap — to click
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mark — a trace
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rock — music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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