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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. snap — to click
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bulb — for light
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rash — a series
  15. toast — bread
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rash — hasty

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