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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. net — in sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. net — for catching
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — a series
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — a thrill

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