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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. shower — rain
  5. net — after costs
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. net — for catching
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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