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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · toast · deal · ground · wave · shower · bulb · sharp

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ground — a position
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chair — a leader
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. sharp — clever
  19. toast — bread
  20. ground — crushed
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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