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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rock — music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. toast — bread
  20. roll — a list
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chair — a leader
  24. roll — on a roll

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