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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chest — a box
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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