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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. scale — in music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. object — a thing
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. object — to protest
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. object — an aim
  24. bulb — for light

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