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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — hurry
  16. last — to go on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — finally
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. last — final
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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