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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — in cards
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hand — help
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bulb — for light
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — for digging

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