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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — to tease
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kid — child
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. tube — a container

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