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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. saw — the tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bulb — of a plant
  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