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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — a line
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. row — to paddle
  10. band — a music group
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cabinet — ministers

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