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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — to fit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chair — a leader
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. snap — to click
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spring — the season
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. trunk — of a car

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