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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: file · present · stick · pass · fall · bulb · firm · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fall — the season
  3. file — a document
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — a company
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — decided
  10. file — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a line of people
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — steady
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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