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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stock — goods
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stock — shares
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — in music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chair — a leader
  16. scale — size or range
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — to sit on

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