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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. root — of a word
  8. fork — in a road
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — the cause
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. march — music

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