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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. current — happening now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. last — to go on
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. current — electric
  15. chair — a leader
  16. last — final
  17. current — of water
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. last — finally
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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