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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bulb — for light
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. field — farmland
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — moving air
  24. coach — a trainer

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