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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — the underground
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mate — a friend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. march — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — a container
  24. mate — to breed

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