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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fine — all right
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — high quality
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fall — to drop
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rash — a series
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ground — a position
  21. fall — the season
  22. staff — a stick
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ground — crushed

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