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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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bank — of a river
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — for money
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mine — for digging
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — child
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. kid — to tease

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