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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: suit · toast · bowl · wake · bulb · chair · fall · rule

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rule — government
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — the season
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rule — a law
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chair — to sit on

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