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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mine — for digging
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stand — to bear

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