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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. spell — magic
  7. land — a country
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. foot — a measure
  11. face — to confront
  12. firm — a company
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. firm — decided
  17. land — ground
  18. pop — to visit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chair — a leader
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  24. land — to come down

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