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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. saw — the tool
  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