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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. face — to confront
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rock — music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chair — a leader

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