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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
468
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: staff · bowl · bulb · cabinet · cold · rock · bore · wave

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rock — music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  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