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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. staff — employees
  4. cold — not warm
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cold — an illness
  15. fine — all right
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — a break
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cabinet — ministers

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