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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: chair · bulb · face · fine · pop · wave · cabinet · key

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. face — part of the head
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. face — to confront
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — to visit
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fine — all right

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