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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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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: mug · chest · lie · bore · bulb · cabinet · arm · land

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chest — a box
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. cabinet — ministers

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