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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. staff — employees
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. staff — a stick
  6. perch — the fish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. spell — letters
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. game — a match
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — child
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — to tease
  20. chair — a leader
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spell — a short time

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