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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bore — to drill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. hand — help
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hand — in cards

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