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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. capital — a city
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. firm — a company
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. capital — money
  16. lean — thin
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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