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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lean — thin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. craft — boats
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. file — a document
  23. scale — in music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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