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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. club — for golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a leader
  22. shower — rain
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — in biology

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