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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chair — a leader
  9. last — to go on
  10. file — a tool
  11. snap — to click
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. foot — a measure
  19. last — final
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rest — what's left

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