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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pop — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. file — a document
  9. pop — to visit
  10. vault — a safe
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. spell — letters
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — the animal

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