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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · roll · bowl · sharp · lean · snap · drill · bulb

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. roll — a list
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. snap — to click
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lean — thin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lean — to bend
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. drill — army training
  24. bowl — a dish

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