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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a committee
  7. file — a document
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. band — a ring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — to get on
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. band — a music group
  23. spell — letters
  24. file — a tool

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