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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — for light
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fall — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — the season
  14. clip — a video
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — of water
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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