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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.

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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — a path
  7. spring — of water
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. track — a song
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. spring — the season
  18. bat — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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