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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. wax — to grow
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. capital — money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cabinet — ministers

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