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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wax — to grow
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. file — a document
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hand — help

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