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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — to confront
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spring — the season
  24. chair — a leader

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