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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. face — to point toward
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. face — to confront
  11. toast — bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — a permit
  24. row — a line

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