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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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