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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — of water
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. present — a gift
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. track — to keep track
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — the season
  15. present — the time now
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. track — a path
  19. present — there
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spring — a coil
  23. last — to go on
  24. chair — a leader

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