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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. toast — bread
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hand — in cards
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. degree — temperature

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