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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 120 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — to be able to
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — a container
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — a measure
  24. key — in music

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