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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — a box
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. current — electric
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. band — a music group
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — of water
  19. root — the cause
  20. chest — of your body
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. root — of a word
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — happening now

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