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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — rain
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. shower — to wash

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