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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: firm · bass · bulb · face · track · prune · chair · snap

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — steady
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. track — a song
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. firm — decided
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to confront
  20. firm — a company
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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