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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — of a plant
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. content — the amount
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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