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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · pitcher · fine · hide · fan · chair · mug · spring

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fine — high quality
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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