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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. season — in sport
  19. chair — a leader
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — of a plant

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