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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. shower — rain
  22. key — in music
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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