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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spell — magic
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. spell — letters
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tear — to rip
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stock — goods
  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