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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: coach · spell · bulb · bear · roll · rest · mug · chair

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mug — to rob
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rest — a break
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — letters
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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