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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. content — happy
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — the amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tear — to rip
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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