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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 120 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: chair · bore · bulb · saw · lash · bay · cell · court

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. court — of a king
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. court — of law
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cell — in biology
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cell — a phone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bore — to tire
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — for light

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