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

Word bank: shower · chair · lash · toast · pass · mark · bulb · firm

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. toast — bread
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — a company
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. firm — steady
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. firm — decided
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chair — a leader
  24. shower — rain

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