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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — bread
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. charge — a price
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spring — the season
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spring — of water
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — in control
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. charge — electricity

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