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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spell — magic
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chest — a box
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. spell — letters
  24. cabinet — ministers

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