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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. band — a ring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rash — a series
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. band — a music group
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rash — hasty
  21. craft — boats
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — for light

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