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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — thin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — all right
  11. charge — a price
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. charge — in control
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cell — a phone
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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