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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — the underground
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. sharp — clever
  12. tube — a container
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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