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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. land — to come down
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — thin
  13. land — a country
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — ground
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fan — a supporter
  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