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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. squash — to crush
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — of a king
  21. present — there
  22. chest — a box
  23. squash — the sport
  24. present — a gift

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