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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · fine · bulb · mate · march · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. march — the month
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fine — high quality
  12. march — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. march — the month

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