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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — a series
  7. saw — the tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. key — in music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — to wash

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