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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fall — the season
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. land — to come down
  8. fall — to drop
  9. roll — a list
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — a country
  15. board — a committee
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — to get on
  21. roll — a cake
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. roll — on a roll
  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