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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — for catching
  8. cap — a lid
  9. net — in sport
  10. last — final
  11. bark — to shout
  12. net — after costs
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — to handle
  18. last — finally
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. last — to go on

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