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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — a leader
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kick — in football
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — happening now
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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