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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pass — a permit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. net — for catching
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a grade
  8. snap — to click
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. net — in sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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