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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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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: fall · racket · tear · board · season · bulb · cabinet · wake

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. board — a committee
  3. fall — to drop
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fall — the season
  10. season — in sport
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tear — from crying
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. season — of the year
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tear — to rip
  21. board — to get on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — to add flavour

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