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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.

Make a worksheet

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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — of water
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the fish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bound — certain
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spring — the season
  16. bound — tied together
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bass — low music
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. key — for a lock

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