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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — in music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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