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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bank — of a river
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fine — all right
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fine — high quality
  19. shower — rain
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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