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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. file — a tool
  5. suit — clothes
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a line of people
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stem — to come from
  12. file — a document
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stem — a stem cell

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