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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tube — a container
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fine — all right
  12. cold — an illness
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — high quality
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cold — not warm

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