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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spring — a coil
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cue — a hint
  14. last — finally
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. toast — bread
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spring — of water
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spring — the season
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  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