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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mark — a grade

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