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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: bulb · cabinet · cold · plane · deal · perch · current · stick

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cold — an illness
  5. perch — the fish
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — electric
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cold — not warm
  12. current — happening now
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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