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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — help
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wind — moving air
  18. snap — to click
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — the season
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — moving air

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