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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. object — to protest
  13. cap — a hat
  14. dip — to sink
  15. shower — rain
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chip — to eat
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. object — a thing
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — an aim

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