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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: bulb · saw · chair · foot · season · mine · suit · trunk

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. chair — a leader
  5. season — of the year
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — the tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — to fit

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