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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rash — a series
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a face
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — boats
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — in sport

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