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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. scale — in music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — to protest
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rule — government
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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