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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chair — a leader
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. object — an aim
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — ministers

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