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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spring — the season
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. key — the most important part
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. scale — in music
  13. key — in music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spring — of water
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — for catching
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — for a lock
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. scale — size or range
  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