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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. last — to go on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. last — finally
  21. staff — employees
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — for light

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