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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · sharp · firm · bulb · rest · kick · season · band

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — of the year
  6. band — a music group
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — decided
  9. sharp — clever
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. firm — steady
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. season — in sport
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — a break
  22. firm — a company
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. kick — with a leg

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