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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. season — of the year
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rule — government

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