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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fine — all right
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mug — a face

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