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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. firm — steady
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — happy
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. last — final
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. drill — army training

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