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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. band — a ring
  8. chest — a box
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. band — a music group
  12. scale — in music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. scale — size or range
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chest — of your body
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — the season

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